Crossing the ThresholdProf. Barbara c.g. Green, MA

CM107Unit 3

Agenda

• Thresholds• Prewriting• Paragraphs• Topic sentences• Supporting sentences• Transitions

• Thesis statements• Assignments

Crossing the Threshold

• Step 5 in the “hero myth”• Preparation is over• Move forward and start the adventure• Your first college writing assignment is due this

unit!

The Basics

• Last week you learned many basics: • The differences between formal (academic/college)

writing and informal writing• What “audience” and “purpose” mean• What “concise writing” is and why it is important• Where to go for help!! (Writing Center Info.)

• This week we will cover more basics:• Prewriting (generating ideas)• How to construct a paragraph• Topic sentences• Details

• How to write a thesis statement

Preparing for an Assignment

1. Plan the writing• Review instructions• Be sure you

understand

2. Create the Content—prewriting or the “artist” phase• Brainstorm• Freewrite

• List• Cluster or map• Questioning

3. Organize the Content• Create categories• Place info. from #2

into the categories• Look for patterns• Write a rough outline

Drafting an Assignment

• Turn your outline into a rough draft• Set aside, then come back and revise or see

again—the “judge” phase• Edit and proofread• Complete final draft!

The Paragraph

• The paragraph is a group of unified sentences (typically 5-7 sentences)• This group of sentences should be indented

5 spaces (no spaces between paragraphs)• A paragraph begins with a topic sentence • What is the topic sentence? • What should the body of the paragraph do?

Thesis Statements

• What is a thesis statement?

• How is a thesis statement different from a topic sentence?

• Where is it typically located?

Thesis StatementsThesis Statements

• Thesis = topic + point or main idea• A thesis is ONE sentence (25 words or less)

that tells the point you are going to make in the paper • A thesis tells the reader what the writing

will be about• A question or questions you would like to

have answered about your topic (your thesis is the answer—you may do research to find the answers)

Research Questions

• For example, let's say you had to write a paper about a charitable organization. You chose The Big Brother/Sister Program. First you would ask questions to determine your angle:• WHO benefits from this program?• WHAT does the group do? • WHEN do they do it? • HOW do they do it? • WHY do they do it? • WHERE do they do it?

From Question to Thesis

• If you picked one of the questions, answering that question would be your essay. You would probably need to do research in order to answer your question• After you found information, you'd take the

answer and make it a into a thesis. For example, if you chose "WHO" your thesis might be this: • The Big Brother/Sister Program was created to help

children who have lost one or both parents, children who are at risk of dropping out of school, and children who have a prior history of drug-related problems.

Thesis with Key Points

• You can clearly see the three main ideas in this thesis: • The Big Brother/Sister Program was created to help

children who have lost one or both parents, children who are at risk of dropping out of school, and children who have a prior history of drug-related problems.

• Key Point 1 = lost parents• Key Point 2 = at risk of dropping out• Key Point 3 = drug problems

Topic Sentences

• Topic Sentences come directly from the thesis:

• The Big Brother/Sister Program was created to help children who have lost one or both parents, children who are at risk of dropping out of school, and children who have a prior history of drug-related problems.

• Topic Sentences:• One of the groups of children the program helps are those who

have lost one or both parents.• Another group of children helped by the program are those who

have been identified as “at risk” of dropping out of school.• The last group of children that the organization targets for help is

those who have a prior history of drug problems.

Starting a New Paragraph

• Begin a new paragraph when you• End the introduction• Begin a new idea • Explain another point in your argument• Change speakers in a dialogue• Make a shift in place or time• Start your conclusion• Find your paragraph is too long

• Remember: Paragraphs should be 5-7 sentences. Less = an underdeveloped paragraph. More = an overwhelming paragraph to read!

Unit 3 Assignment

• Generate Ideas (freewrite about “courage”)• List historical figures• Choose one that best embodies your idea of courage• Write TWO paragraphs(the instructions say one, but I

want two) with topic sentences. You should answer the questions listed in the assignment in a unified and logical way

• Paragraph 1 = Define courage in YOUR OWN WORDS• Paragraph 2 = Provide an example of a historical

figure that shows courage as you defined it. **Use a historical figure you ALREADY KNOW ABOUT so you don’t have to research.

APA Paper formatting

General APA Guidelines:•Your essay should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11") with 1" margins on all sides. APA recommends using 12 pt. Times New Roman font.•Include a page header at the top of every page. To create a page header, insert page numbers flush right. Then type "TITLE OF YOUR PAPER" in the header flush left.

Apa paper formatting cont.

Title Page:•The title page should contain the title of the paper, the author's name, and the institutional affiliation. Include the page header (described above) flush left with the page number flush right at the top of the page. Please note that on the title page, your page header should look like this:•Running head: TITLE OF YOUR PAPER•Pages after the title page should have a running head that looks like this:•TITLE OF YOUR PAPER

Apa paper formatting cont.

plagiarism

• What is it? • What are the different types?• How can you avoid it?

Questions?